China will prioritize nuclear power development as renewable energy plays an essential role in the government's effort to attain a greener and cleaner future.

The China National Nuclear Power revealed on Tuesday that it will invest 31.4 billion yuan ($4.8 billion) to nuclear power projects this year. It plans to establish two generating units as well.

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Currently, 64 percent of the country's energy structure is fueled by coal, more than two times higher than the world's average.

China aims to raise non-fossil energy share by up to 15 percent in 2020 and to 20 percent by 2030. Aside from that, it also aims to bring down coal consumption for energy use to over 60 percent by 2020.

In this regard, nuclear power, which is known for its low carbon emissions and high efficiency, emerged as the candidate.

"Nuclear energy plays an irreplaceable role in China's energy security and energy structure optimization, it is also a solution to treat smog," said He Yu, the company chairman.

China currently has 30 functional nuclear power generating units, which have a total capacity of 28.31 GW. It also has 24 units under construction that could total up to 26.72 GW.

Its earlier plans aim to raise nuclear power capacity to 58 GW, plus another 30 GW under construction by 2020, according to China Daily. This implies that between 2016 and 2020, six to eight new generators need to be put into operation.

The initiative also follows as China's energy use is dwindling. Nur Berki, China's National Energy Administration's head, said that this is the best time to boost all efforts and revolutionize the energy industry.

TagsNuclear Power, nuclear energy, Coal use, China National Nuclear Power Co, coal consumption, Pollution, CLEAN ENERGY